The present invention is intended to assist fire fighting personnel and emergency medical personnel in locating and assisting children in the wake of a house fire. A review of the prior art discloses many personal security devices intended to alert people in the event of a fire. The present invention, however, is used not to alert people to the onset of a fire, but rather to assist others, such as firefighters and EMTs, in coming to the assistance of those children caught in a fire.
Through personal experience of the inventor, who is a firefighter, it has been found that children, especially young children, tend to hide when an emergency occurs. Typically, children will seek the shelter of a closet, not realizing that the closet will ultimately not protect them from a fire. To the contrary, historically, the tendency of children to seen shelter within the house, rather than leaving the house, has prevented firefighters from locating them.
The current invention will assist firefighters in locating children in house fires. The child must first be taught to pick up the device and keep it with him at all times. It contains both audible and visible alarms, which are self-activating when the device is picked up by the child. These alarms help lead rescuers to the child, wherever he might be within the house. Furthermore, the invention includes a timer, which indicates the time elapsed from when the device was picked up. This time approximates time since the fire was first noticed by the child using the invention, and is important after rescue, since it indicates how long the child may have been exposed to smoke, etc.
The device also contains a storage compartment, or container, in which biographic data, and medical history data are stored, for use by both firefighters and by medical personnel after rescue is accomplished. Information, such as the name and age of the child, drugs to which the child is allergic, and the child's pre-existing medical conditions may be essential to appropriate treatment of the child. Under emergency conditions, when the child is injured after rescue, as a result of burns, smoke inhalation, or the like, the availability of such information may save the child's life.
The present invention is a dual-function device. It serves as an attractive clock in the form of an anthropomorphic fire hydrant, which children will find appealing. It sits on its base on a night stand next to the child's bed. When removed from its base, however, the timer is initialized, as are the visible and audible alarms. Radio-frequency (RF) alarms may also be included. The child, who has previously been taught to pick up the device in case of fire, and to keep it with him, thus signals the firefighters as to his whereabouts, even if the child is not visible.
The visible alarms consist of strobe lights, which will enable rescuers to see the device even when the area is filled with thick smoke. The audible alarm, typically beeping at short intervals with a characteristic sound, will likewise direct rescuers to the child in distress, even if the child is out of sight.
The device also contains a flashlight mounted on the top of the hydrant. This enables the child to find his way about the house, in the case where it is dark and he is unable to find a light switch, or in cases where the electrical power to the house is shut down.
It is contemplated that when this invention is widely available, firefighters and other rescue personnel will be informed about the device and its operation, and will be able to quickly recognize the signals the device produces.